jeffartz.org

419.508.0770

artz.jeff@gmail.com

Perrysburg, Ohio

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Overview

Transforming Brands through ART & IdeaZ

Creative Direction | Art Direction | Strategic Brand Building | Lead Graphic Design | Leadership

 

Professional creative director/graphic designer with 30+ years experience of strategic branding for B2B and B2C clients. Currently the Lead Graphic Designer for GPRS creating brand awareness through integrated marketing media. Formerly the Creative Director in the Office of Marketing and Communications at Bowling Green State University for 14 years managing, developing and leading the design team. Responsibilities include managing university advertising campaigns and media, direction and integration of collateral publications, print, web and social media graphic support and production coordination. Knowledge and understanding of a wide range of media and clients. Well-versed in creative direction and graphic design of integrated marketing materials to further enhance brand awareness through creative innovation, implementation and forward-thinking solutions. Proficient in integrating design with marketing directives through a variety of channels including print, advertising, collateral, display, signage as well as design for web/social media from concept to completion. Broad experience in branding initiatives including healthcare, education, communications, automotive industry, manufacturing, construction, safety and building products of Fortune 500® clients. Recipient of over 80 ADDYS® and numerous industry awards.

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Education

• Bowling Green State University, BFA, Graphic Design. Magna Cum Laude 
  Bowling Green, Ohio, 1992

 

 

Design/Advertising Work Experience

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2021 – Present
Lead Graphic Designer, GPRS (Ground Penetrating Radar Systems)
Marketing Division, Maumee, Ohio

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• Provide excellence in brand direction and creative solutions for the largest advanced scanning and private utility locating firm in the U.S. Manage multiple projects for stakeholders for external-facing brand awareness marketing initiatives with a wide range of media. Provide successful design and marketing solutions to our service lines by presenting our corporation as the leader in Intelligently Visualizing the Built World of infrastructure both above and below ground

• Lead the design and corporate brands from a strategy-driven approach to each GPRS division and service line

• Design a wide range of graphic projects from concept through completion including print and electronic collateral, social media, web direction design, direct mail, advertising, slide decks, graphic design elements including logos and slogans, with a strong emphasis on brand continuity

• Mentor, provide direction and support other design staff as necessary. Lead design team building sessions with the goal of improving design best practices and continuous improvement. Assigning design exercises to team members to improve creative output and design excellence in deliverables

• Deliver exceptional creative design from an individual and team approach. Strong collaboration with the team on marketing initiatives from a content and strategic approach

• Participate in team huddles and one-on-one meetings on a weekly basis

• Prioritize projects and manage workload based on design directives and timelines. Manage projects through team production management platform

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2007 – 2021 
Creative Director, Bowling Green State University
Office of Marketing & Communications, Bowling Green, Ohio

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• Provide and manage the creative direction, branding, and graphic design of marketing materials to further enhance Bowling Green State University as a premier learning institution to both internal and external audiences. Direct the visual design, create and build on the brand equity and integrate design with the marketing messaging through a variety of channels including print, advertising, collateral, signage, broadcast and web graphics from concept to completion. Manage the creative execution and design production for a department workload of more than 2,000 projects annually.

• Responsible for the branding, design and production of university-wide marketing materials and key creative programs. This includes conceptualization, implementation and maintaining integrity of the BGSU campaign brand and sub-brands. Implementation and direction of a unified look/approach to a wide array of communications including print products, advertising, collateral, web support and social media graphics, television storyboarding and signage for departments and events, promotions or marketing projects needed for success. Provide unified look and approach to communications and integrating branding campaigns across several media platforms. Maintain brand integrity and quality control measures of marketing materials.

• Direction and supervision of full-time designers and internal and external consultant freelancers. Oversee the projects to maintain brand integrity and exercise quality measures to be sure design objectives are being met. Coordinate and direct multiple existing marketing brands and sub brands. Oversee, support and guide the creation of new design platforms for single or comprehensive material needs. Conduct evaluation of work performance annually. Approve all proposed and final designs. 

• Management of print project design work flow; assign and delegate projects daily. Coordinate and transfer project information to appropriate designer. Evaluate project workload and plan accordingly within the framework of project(s) time frame and budget.

• Collaboration with university constituents on project related marketing materials. This includes the communications managers within the department. Collaboration with university clients on key projects to assess, interpret and analyze design and marketing objectives and client requirements. Provide photo direction for key projects. In addition to collaboration with university staff, planning with external partners, such as printers, is also part of the collaboration/planning process to ensure project success and timeliness.

• Oversee and approve final vendor proofs of marketing materials for the design department. Exercise quality control measures through daily review of files sent electronically to a wide array of advertising partners. Review and evaluate all jobs to ensure quality. Direct vendors to make revisions and/or approve proofs.

• Design, conceptualize and implement the creative of the BGSU Magazine. This includes custom design solutions for feature stories, creation of advertising, involvement of photography direction and review and approval of final print proofs. Involvement in selection of stories, design and photography requirements, content organization and electronic document file preparation and upload.   

• Direct, design and implement creative elements for select projects for print and broadcast for WBGU-TV. Responsible for the creation and integration of original design elements for the use in print, broadcast media, web materials. Coordinate continuity of materials with WBGU-TV staff and Marketing and Communications design staff to ensure consistency.

• Diligent use of current industry standard professional design hardware and software technology. Troubleshoot issues related to software and involvement in resolving problems. Coordinate software and hardware upgrades. Conduct data backup and file archiving of jobs. Propose and manage new and existing hardware stations.

• Maintain and continue to refine the parameters of the BGSU corporate identity standards. This includes review of internal and external requests for use of the BGSU logomark and regulations of the BGSU graphic standards.

• Production management/coordination including job intake, generating job requisitions and specs through production software and processing the project from concept to completion with vendors.

 

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1997 – 2007

Associate Creative Director, Communica, Toledo, Ohio   

Senior Art Director (1997 – 2003)

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• Collaborative management of creative products from concept to completion. 

• Complete art direction and graphic design team leader involved in all aspects of creative including corporate identity, annual reports, collateral, direct mail and a wide range of advertising campaigns and web design layout for consumer and B2B accounts.

• Provided concept management, photo direction, art direction and daily Macintosh computer layout and design. 

• Implementation of brand consistency across long- and short-term campaign platforms. 

• Approved printer proofs and conducted press checks regularly. 

• Worked in conjunction with account managers, determined marketing objectives and translated ideas into visual products.

• Presented creative platforms effectively and delivered rationales in a clear manner; aimed to gain client trust and exceed expectations.

• Designed, developed and implemented brand standards through goals-oriented vision.

• Major accounts/developed communications for: Bowling Green State University, Dana Corporation, Pilkington Glass.

 

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1993 – 1997

Senior Designer, Kidd&Company, Tallahassee, Florida

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• Conceptualized the creative vision for clients from telecommunications to health service organizations.

• Involved in all aspects of graphic design including corporate identity, annual reports, collateral, direct mail and wide range of advertising media and web design layout.

• Collaborated, directed and gave support to designers on generating unique, compelling collateral and advertising.

• Collaborated with account executives to translate marketing goals into visual products.

• Major accounts/developed communications for: Sprint, 360 Communications.

 

 

Services/Products

• Collateral: annual reports, corporate ID, posters, packaging, cards, envelopes, handouts, flyers, informational sheets, wide range of capability brochures, certificates, booklets

• Advertising: print, outdoor, direct mail, tv graphics and storyboarding

• Direct marketing design: traditional mailers and fully custom packaged solutions

• Brand development: style usage guidelines

• Display: trade show displays, portable display units, point of sale, kiosks, signage (permanent
  or promotional)

• Large format products: wall displays, A-frame boards, wayfinding and branded displays, single and poster series, window clings, wall clings

• Trade show and environmental display elements

• Web and social design graphic elements

• Promotional items from t-shirts to masks, screen printed to embroidered products

• B2B and B2C targeted marketing materials

• Additional products including photo backdrops, flags, banners, vehicle graphics including full wraps, sidewalk graphics, plaques, awards and trophies. Many additional products from offset to digital print

• Production management/coordination including job intake, generating job requests through production software and processing the project from concept to completion with clients and vendors

 

 

Software Skills

• Macintosh OS hardware & software

• Adobe CS InDesign

• Adobe CS PhotoShop

• Adobe CS Illustrator

• Adobe Acrobat

• Microsoft Word, Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneDrive

• Wrike Production Coordination Software

• Monday production software

• Google Drive/OneDrive online storage solutions

• Font management

• Photo storage/access experience

 

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Professional Organizations and Committees

• Ad Club of Toledo | Past ADDY Judge for several districts

• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 

• Zoar Lutheran Church Council and Communications Committee member

• Hiroshima Gateway to World Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan, design support

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Awards

• 1997-2021 | Ad Club of Toledo ADDY Awards
  Total of more than 80 ADDY awards including two best
  of shows, gold, silver and bronze ADDY Awards,
  Judges Awards and Citations of Excellence

• 1997-2021 | CASE Awards for BGSU materials

• 1997-2021 | GD USA Magazine Award for BGSU

• 2011 | Best of Show, Ad Club of Toledo ADDY Awards
  BGSU, One Hundred Fact Book

• 2010, 2010 | BGSU Falcons football poster named the third best of the top
  50 football teams in the country by Bleacherreport.com

• 2007 | Telly Award

• Bowling Green State University Academic TV Spot

• 2003 | Print Magazine Regional Design Annual
  David’s House Compassion, Inc.,

• Communications brochure

• 2003 | Sappi Paper Company, Ideas That Matter
  Awards, David’s House Compassion, Inc., Communications brochure

• 2002 | Best of Show, Ad Club of Toledo ADDY
  Awards David’s House Compassion, Inc., Communications brochure

• 2000 | Print Magazine Regional Design Annual
  Poster for guitarist Patrick Lewandowski

• 2000 | Print Magazine Regional Design Annual
  Logo for guitarist Patrick Lewandowski

• 1999 | U.S. Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
  1999 Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Tournament poster chosen for permanent display

• 1997-2006 | Toledo Crystal Awards
  Numerous Crystal Awards for various projects

 

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Unique Programs

• Designed the identity and trophy for the Biletnikoff Award, nationally televised award event given annually to the top collegiate NCAA football receiver

• Designed the Battle of I-75 Trophy for the football rivalry game between Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo

• Assisted in the design and collateral of the Hiroshima Gateway to World Peace Memorial, an architectural, environmental structure built in Hiroshima, Japan